Who says?

“Why had we thought the Afghans wouldn’t fight? They defeated the Russians after all.”Christina Lamb, Times journalist embedded with the Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan

“I have been in some hairy situations, not least in Afghanistan, a country I love... but this was the first time in my life that I thought I would not survive.”Christina Lamb, after an ambush in Helmand province

“If we get overrun I’ll save the last bullet for myself.”Private Kyle Deerans, C Company Parachute Regiment, during the ambush

“I’ve never been in anything as intense as that. That was a 360-degree battle.”Major Paul Blair, C Company Parachute Regiment, after the ambush

“I’ve done two tours in Iraq but that was nothing to this.”Corporal Matt D’Arcy, C Company Parachute Regiment

after the ambush

“It’s become increasingly clear that the number of troops deployed there is not adequate to meet the task.”Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell, backing the government’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan

“If this were to fall apart, it would be deeply damaging to the stability of Afghanistan and it would also be deeply damaging to the credibility of Nato.”Menzies Campbell, again demonstrating the Liberal Democrats’ “anti?war” credentials